To Believe in Heroes
by SweetDreamer215
Summary: During the Battle of New York there were many deaths but none that hit so hard as the ones who sacrifice themselves for others.


"Mary Ann lived believing in heroes, maybe not the fictional kind she wrote about, but real life ones, the ones that would run into buildings to save other people, police who protected our streets, firemen who would take the blazes of an untamed fire, our military who go out to unfriendly fire to keep our country safe.

She believed in the small heroes in each of us, those who would help out to charity, those who would pick up litter and throw it away, those who believed in civil and equal rights for all.

In this day and age it is rare for someone to believe in heroes as much as she did, to believe there is an inner good in everyone. When it finally came down to prove that there is a hero in all of us; that is exactly what she did."

A young blonde man drowned out the man who was holding the service looking at the picture of the young woman who believed in heroes, the one who tried to help people escape from the battle of New York, the chitauri invasion.

Mary Ann was part of the group that was pushed into the bank all huddled with hundreds of others with the aliens getting closer to them. A little boy was in the group pushed away from his mother. Mary Ann quickly grabbed him into her arms and asked him to point out his mother; she kept an eye one the woman while keeping the young boy close to her. Some one screamed; she looked up there were aliens surrounding them at the top of the stairs; one pulled a grenade like thing and uncapped it.

A man in a blue outfit with stars and stripes slammed into the window and slammed a shield, an iconic shield, into them. The man she recently wrote about for a story line for a comic. She gripped the boy closer to her.

"Get out of here. Run!" he yelled at them. People started to run out, the grenade went off after bouncing of the man's shield, Captain America's shield. She ran out clutching the young boy close to her.

Getting out of the building she searched for the child's mother and passed him off, telling him what a brave boy he had been and to be good. The mother and child cried in each others arms. The mother thanking her profusely before Mary Ann pushed her to go find another hiding spot and to take care of her child.

She started to take off again and grabbed a gun that was on the ground checking to see if there was rounds in it, there were a few left. She took off running her purse swinging as she ran.

She kept her eyes out for the man who saved her, Captain America. Her eyes widened and her body started to react on its own. She turned and clicked the safety off of the gun she found but kept her finger off the trigger. She ran her body into another pushing them out of the way. She coughed, blood splattered out of her mouth, she looked down and saw a staff, one of the alien's, sticking through her chest. She raised her gun and shot the rest of the rounds, at the face and at the chest hoping it would hit something important. Both went down.

The man she pushed out of the way came over quickly and yelled for a medic. His blue eyes would be the last thing she saw in this world. She placed her purse in his hands and reached for a thick package before finally closing her eyes with death taking her.

That wasn't supposed to happen, the man, Captain America, thought, no one was supposed to die for him. He looked at the picture of the woman who gave her life to save his. He pulled out the package she pushed to him. It was supposed to go a children's hospital. After the funeral he would take it to the patient.

"Mary Ann was a loving wife and mother. Though she believed in heroes and believed in other people, Mary Ann, she was the real hero." Steve Rogers agreed with that statement, that woman was a hero in every way a hero could be.

Steve Rogers hopped on his bike and took off towards the hospital, a familiar one he knew, the one he spent a lot of time in when he was younger, he was surprised that it was still there really.

"Capsicle, you alright?" he heard on his com.

"Fine Stark, just… just have to deliver something." He turned off his radio. The other's couldn't really comprehend why he came to this woman's funeral, he never told them she gave up her life for his.

When he reached the hospital he quietly asked for John Combs's room, the nurse looked at him with widened eyes at his all black attire, he was either mourning or just came from the funeral service. She told him to follow her, he looked at all of the children in the hospital, and thought that maybe some time soon he should come here, as Captain America, to cheer them up.

They reached room 1272 and she opened the door.

"John, you have a visitor," she said with a smile and a happy voice.

"Is it Mo-," his voice trailed off from being excited and his eyes saddened and tears began to well up with in them. Steve walked in and put on a small smile, this child, he couldn't say good bye to his mom, like him on that respect; he couldn't go to his mother's funeral either. John was no older than 10 by looks.

"Hi John," he said with a small smile, "My name's Steve, its nice to meet you."

"Hi Steve," John said, looking at the package in his hands. Steve glanced at it and smiled.

"I see you noticed this package I have here. I hope you don't mind me asking John, but how old are you?"

"I'm eight," he said with a smile, "but I turn nine in a three months." Steve felt his heart clench.

Steve lifted the package and looked at the eight-year-old, "well your momma gave me this to give to you."

"Really?" John asked perking up, "She did it? She got it pub-pub-publi,"

"Published," the nurse helped, John nodded furiously. Steve gave the boy the package.

John ripped the packaging with a fury that could only be rivaled with by opening presents on Christmas. A book was in there, hard cover, and a sticknote placed on top saying: 'First one ever just for my Johnny. ~Love Momma' Steve's heart clenched even more, John's mother.

John opened it to the dedication page.

"Why are you opening it there John?" The nurse asked.

"Momma always told me to read this as soon as it was published.'

Steve read it quickly, there was a quote and dedication.

_"Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with."_

_ ― Brodi Ashton_

_ "To my sweet baby Johnny, may there always be a path for you to choose, may the sun always shine on your pathway, and always know that wherever I may be I always love you, so follow your dreams and take chances for who knows where your path may lead you,"_

_ Love,_

_ Momma_

_ Mary Ann Combs_

"I love you too Momma," he heard John whisper to the book before hugging it close to him.

Suddenly someone fell out of the vent system, Steve frowned and Clint Barton looked at him sheepishly.

"Uh hey Cap," he scratched the back of his head nervously. Steve went to the window and told Tony and the others to get in there.

"We were just a little worried about you." Bruce Banner said.

"I wasn't," Stark said.

"He's lying," Natasha said with a smile. The small boy brightened up, "Hi, you must by John Combs, Mary Ann's son?" He nodded furiously; she knelt down next to him and whispered in his ear, "She's my favorite author you know?"

"Really!? She's mine too!" Natasha gave a small smile and held his hand.

"Let me introduce all of the Avengers," said Stark with a flourish in his Iron Man suit, "I'm Tony Stark, Ironman, to my left is Bruce Banner, the Hulk,"

"Nice to meet you,"

"Hawkeye,"

"Your mom's books were awesome little guy," John blushed a bit at that comment.

"Thor,"

"It is nice to meet the son of a heroin such as you're mother, she will be celebrated in the halls of Valhalla for many years."

"Black Widow," she squeezed his hand.

"and Captain America,"

"You're Captain America!" Steve flinched a bit, his mother died for him.

"Yes sir,"

"My mom protected Captain America, wow! Hey! Can you sign my momma's sticky note! Right next to momma's name!" The other Avenger's smiled as Steve's face turned red but he signed next to John's mother's name and wrote on it, 'You're mother's the real hero, always has and always will be."

They stayed talking to the young boy until he was so tired that he was falling asleep on them. As they were about to leave he turned to say good bye, he saw a figure sitting on the bed, gently holding on to the boy as he slept, running her finger's gently through his hair. She smiled and placed a finger over her lips. Mary Ann mouthed thank you to him before kissing her son's head and disappearing.

Tony was talking to the nurses and doctor's about taking over John's medical bills and giving him the right treatments so that he could get well soon. Steve looked back at John's room before Thor spoke up.

"I saw her as well my shield brother."

As they went home a shooting star passed overhead and a little boy made a wish that he would make his mother proud and she would be safe and taken care of wherever she may be.


End file.
